So much nutrition information on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and all over the internet. Easy to find nutrition information, but what it true and what is a myth? A while back I had a student in my class who seemed to know a lot about nutrition. One day I asked him why he was taking my nutrition class as he seemed so knowledgeable about nutrition. He replied that he wanted to know what was true and what wasn’t. What were really the facts and what were myths and misinformation? Just because something about nutrition is on the internet, doesn’t make it true. What are some popular nutrition ideas that are in fact nutrition myths?
1. Will going on a gluten-free diet promote weight loss? Will going gluten-free improve your health?
Go to the store and package after package is labelled “gluten-free”. Some are so odd like “gluten-free juice”. Why would juice have any grains in it? A “gluten-free apple” when fruit has no gluten. Gluten is a protein found in some grains: rye, wheat and barley. Fruit and veggies would not have gluten unless they had some bread coating or some grain added to them. There is no research that supports going gluten-free will help with weight loss. Gluten-free diets are for those with Celiac Disease and those who are sensitive to gluten. Both of which are rare. According to the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, “Despite the health claims for gluten-free eating, no published experimental evidence supports weight-loss with a gluten-free diet or suggests that the general population would benefit from avoiding gluten.”
Some people think going gluten-free will improve their health. Not true. A survey conducted by Consumer Reports indicated many people thought gluten-free diets were more nutritious and even contained more vitamins and minerals. Just the opposite is true. 63% of the survey respondents “thought that following a gluten-free diet would improve physical or mental health. About a third said they buy gluten-free products or try to avoid gluten.” Consumer Reports noted that gluten-free diets are not more nutritious and may even be less nutritious. Why? According to Laura Moore, a dietitian at the University of Texas, “If you go gluten-free without the guidance of a nutritionist, you can develop deficiencies pretty quickly.”
Rather than avoiding gluten, people should be adding whole grains to their diet. Whole grains add important nutrients and fiber to one’s diet.
2. To lose weight or to eat healthy, you have to give up your favorite foods.
Whether you are trying to lose weight or trying to eat healthier, you don’t have to give up your favorite foods. How often I hear, “Chips are unhealthy.” Not true, as there are so many healthy chip choices. I love chips and have no intention of giving them up. Yes, to lose weight you might have to cut back on some favorite foods or forgo some really high calorie favorite foods for a while. But giving them up totally and you may feel deprived and lose interest in losing weight or eating healthier.
3. To be physically active, you have to exercise for long periods of time.
Yes, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, recommend regular physical activity to include 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate physical activity each week. But this isn’t running marathons. It includes brisk walking. And you don’t have to do it all at once. Even 10-minute spurts are good for your health. In fact, for those with Type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, or even for people without diabetes, walking after meals is especially beneficial as walking lowers blood glucose levels. No time for a 30-minute walk? Then take 10-minute walks after meals. Build exercise into your day – sit less and move more. NIH recommends taking a 10-minute walking break at work, taking the stairs, walk with a friend at lunch. “Break up your sitting time by getting up and moving around, even if it’s for only ten minutes at a time. Those minutes will add up over days and weeks.” Hate those commercials on TV? Walk around during commercials, go up and down some stairs, do some stretches.
4. Sea salt is healthier than table salt.
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| Look for iodized salt. |
5. A calorie is a calorie.
Is eating 300 calories of oven-roasted chicken breast the same as eating 300 calories of cake? One might think so, but another myth. Your body burns up more calories to digest and absorb protein than it does carbs. Some foods are harder to digest and your body doesn’t absorb or use all the calories in the food. “Corn and beans, for example, contain something called resistant starch, a type of carb that is really hard to digest.” Foods high in protein such as chicken, fish, turkey, steak use up more calories to digest and absorb than foods high in fat or carbs. Adding protein foods to each meal will fill you up and burn up more calories. Add some lean meat such as lean red meat, poultry or eggs and nuts to your meals for a protein boost.
Just because something is popular such as gluten-free foods, doesn’t mean they are healthier. There are many nutrition myths out there and just because you read it on Facebook or other social media, doesn’t mean it’s true. The student in my class who knew a lot about nutrition? He learned what were the nutrition facts and what were the myths and there are a lot of nutrition myths. Take the time to verify the nutrition information you read on the internet. It may be true or it may be another nutrition myth.
Sources: Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants , survey , dietitian , foods, chip , Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans , walking , salts , calorie , food , Add Image sources: Gluten free , salt , myths
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